Hope
by ashwater
Summary: 365 days ago, Slade kidnapped Starfire. Robin's life has been destroyed and he does nothing but search for her. And now, they've finally returned. But Starfire's not the same girl who disappeared a year ago. RobxStar
1. Chapter 1

"Robin. Robin. Robin!"

Robin grimaced and glanced over his shoulder. "Beast Boy. What do you need?"

Beast Boy took a deep breath. "There's… It's Control Freak. He's making another attack. A mission!"

"You guys can handle it."

Outside Robin's doorway, Beast Boy turned to Raven with a desperate expression.

She stepped in front of Beast Boy. "Robin, people could be in danger."

"I don't care. It's not important." He continued refreshing his tracker.

Raven closed her eyes, and stepped closer. "You need to get outside. Get your mind off her. She's gone. I'm sorry. I would- any of us would- do anything to find her. But we can't. It's been too long for there to be a chance. There's no way she can ever come back."

"No!" Robin snapped and spun around. "She's out there, somewhere! I know it!"

Raven's voice became stronger, "She wouldn't want this. She would want you to move on."

"Shut up! Don't talk about her like you knew her!" Robin yelled. "No one knew her like I did. No one! And I know she's still out there. And I will find her! I don't care if I go insane or die, but I will find her."

With that he whirled back around and continued typing on his computer. Raven started to say something else, but stopped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She sighed, nodded, and left the room with Beast Boy.

"Every mission this happens," Raven sighed as she and Beastboy approached the main room.

"Tomorrow marks a year," Beast Boy said nostalgically. "365 days. 300 missions Robin's missed. Four he's gone on but just stood and watched."

They entered the room together and began walking over to Cyborg.

"365 stupid days without her." Beast Boy gave Raven a sad smile.

"He ain't comin'?" Cyborg detachedly asked.

"No."

"What a surprise," he sighed. "Doesn't matter. Let's take Control Freak down again."

"Okay."

As soon as his friends had left the room, Robin broke down. Tears streamed down his face and he pounded the floor with his fist.

"Dammit! Star, where are you?!" he muttered into the ground. He looked up around his room.

The walls were completely covered with pictures. One wall was dedicated to Starfire. Pictures of her, of them together, and her communicator rested on a small table in the corner. The rest of the room was all Slade.

Any trace of evidence was there, along with countless reports on him, patterns of behavior, etc. But none of it could possibly help lead Robin to what he wanted. None of it was enough.

"A whole year, Starfire," Robin murmured, staring at the ground. "How much longer do you expect me to go on like this?

364 days ago, Slade had returned. How? No one ever found out. He seemed to be immortal by now. But that wasn't important. The important part was what he did.

He took Starfire. He knocked down the rest of the Titans, and simply took her away without a trace, a hint, anything. And neither of them had been heard from since.

For the first week, Robin didn't stop running. He ran everywhere, screaming her name. He ran all throughout the city and to every place Slade could possibly be hiding. The other Titans looked too. Raven couldn't locate her with her even with her empathetic powers. Beast Boy found it impossible to pick her scent anywhere outside of Titans Tower. Cyborg couldn't even locate her communicator.

When all of Earth had been searched, Robin took the T-ship (much to Cyborg's objection) and searched the whole galaxy for her. Yet every planet he went to, including her home, had no clue where Starfire could be. So Robin returned home empty-handed. Weeks of no sleep and barely any nourishment caught up to him and he became very ill and depressed. He retreated to his room and attempted to track Slade from there. He didn't leave his room for two months. When he finally did, he tried to go on a mission with the rest of the Titans. He found himself incapable of focus or battle without Starfire's presence. So he just watched as the other Titans were able to take down the weak villain without his help.

When they returned to Titans Tower, Raven tried to help Robin to understand that Starfire wasn't coming back. When he denied it, Beast Boy and Cyborg began pointing out all the evidence and also tried to get Robin to accept it. But Robin refused. There was no way he would ever give up on her. He went back into his room for another month, until one day, Starfire's communicator appeared on the doorstep of the tower. No trace of her, just her communicator.

Robin went berserk. He tried twice as hard as he had ever tried to find her. Still, she was impossible to find.

He didn't know where Slade had taken her. He didn't know what he was doing with her. All he knew was that Slade still had her alive, and she needed him.

Robin fell asleep on the cold floor.

The other Titans returned to the tower after putting Control Freak back in jail.

Raven sat on a countertop and began reading her book. Beast Boy and Cyborg started playing video games.

"EAT MY DUST," Cyborg said gleefully as his car passed Beast Boy's.

"Oh yeah?" Beast Boy replied. "Well I've looked up some new hacks, so-"

Suddenly, the television turned off as the clock stroke midnight. Then it clicked back on, but this was definitely not the video game.

"Hello Titans. Miss me?"

_"Slade."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Uh, hi. I realize I forgot to make an intro before so….I don't own Teen Titans. Thanks so much for reading:) And please review so I can make the story better. **

**~ashwater**

"Beast Boy," growled Cyborg, staring at the screen. "Get Robin."

Beast Boy turned and started for the door, but before he had reached it, Robin sprinted through toward the screen.

"SLADE!" Robin yelled.

"Ah, Robin. It's been a long time. So good to see you."

"Where is Starfire? You still have her don't you?"

"Starfire? How rude of you! It's been a whole year and you simply ask about your silly friend!"

Robin clenched his fists tightly and growled. "I know you have her."

"Very well," Slade revealed. "I do have her. Yet it is highly unlikely you will be happy with the condition she is in."

"What the hell do you mean?"

Slade leered down at Robin and the other Titans. "I've changed her."

"If you hurt her, I swear I'll-"

"To the contrary Robin, I've helped her. I've changed everything about her. Her morals. Her goals. I've given her new _memories._"

Robin stood there stumped and in shock. It was Beast Boy who managed to ask,

"What are you talking about?"

**Starfire's POV**

My name is Starfire. I am from a beautiful planet known as Tamaran. A beautiful planet that is no more.

My home was destroyed, all of my family and friends died along with it. There is only one remaining person in the world that cares about me. He is like a father to me. Slade.

I was in an accident when I was trying to protect my world. I was defeated. But it was Slade who rescued me from certain death like the rest of the Tamaranians. He took me back to a small planet far far away so I had time to heal. He was so nice. He cared for me when no one else could have- would have. And for that I am eternally grateful.

Slade said I had a head injury in the battle, and that is why I couldn't remember much. But he explained everything I needed to know. Most importantly, who my enemies are.

He said that one day on Tamaran I was taken captive by an alien species, but I escaped to Earth. Then some kids with weird powers helped me. He said we formed a team. The "Teen Titans".

The Titans and I went on countless "missions" to defeat evil and protect the Earth. We worked against evil villains and we made new friends and we were unstoppable. Each one of the Titans had amazing personalities and they were each a very dear friend of mine.

But it was an act. They all lied. They were pretending to be my friend so they could eliminate Tamaran.

Slade says they are all bad, but the worst is their leader. Robin. Slade says Robin messed with my emotions to make me weak. He said that he…tricked me into falling in the "love" with him. So I couldn't fight him.

One day, they said we were going to visit Tamaran. I happily obliged, as I was eager to see my home. But as we approached the familiar planet, they began shooting it with the enormous weapons on a ship.

"Friends!" I screamed. "What are you doing?"

They did not reply. I left the ship and attempted to disable the shooting mechanisms. As I was trying to stop it, they pinned me against the front of the ship and flew it to the ground, slamming me into the dirt and rocks. I was stunned.

While I was out, they placed a time bomb in the center of the planet. I was out cold while this occurred. But I came to soon enough that I could battle them.

While fighting, I screamed, pleading for them to stop and for an explanation for this terrible behavior. They still said no words. They just mercilessly continued to fight against me and some of my people attempting to assist me.

Eventually, I managed to defeat all the Titans but one. Robin.

Our battle was horrifying. We fought and fought for ages, until I actually managed to pin him down. I could have knocked him out- even ended him- in a split second. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" I demanded of him.

His face fell. "Star…."

I paused, shocked. I could not hurt him. It was impossible. When he shortens my name, when he looks sad, there is no way I can hurt him. I reluctantly withdrew my starbolt.

He wickedly grinned at my weakness and flipped me over. He used his staff to hit me in the head and knock me out. Before I lost consciousness, I saw the Titans escape in the spaceship I had come in with them. "No…" I murmured before blacking out.

I came to in a quiet room on a hospital like bed. My head hurt. I looked around at the unfamiliar room surrounding me. "Where…"

"Hush child," a man's voice said.

I looked up to see a man in a strange mask looking down on me.

"Who are you?" I asked. "Where am I?" Then I remembered- "Tamaran! The Titans, they..!"

The man smiled, looking satisfied at first, but then sorrowful. "I'm afraid your planet was destroyed. I was only able to rescue you."

I looked down at my bed. My eyes started to water.

"I am terribly sorry for your loss. My name is Slade. You are on a planet called Ezmerite. An invisible planet for recovery and training."

"Training?" I managed to get out while trying not to cry.

"I will explain more later. I do believe you would require to be alone."

I nodded, and he left.

I silently sobbed for hours. My home- my family, my friends were all gone. And those not gone had destroyed them.

When I had recovered emotionally, Slade returned. He explained that I was weak because of emotion that the Titans had caused, mainly Robin. He said he would teach me how to control that emotion. He said my powers and strength could also be greatly improved.

Disconnected from anything I felt or remembered, I agreed to his companionship, or to be his "apprentice" he called it.

It's been a year now. I've become twice as strong as I ever was. And I no longer feel hesitation in crushing the evil people I once loved. And they will be defeated.

Slade says it will be difficult for me to defeat them. He says my emotions will linger and I will be weakened. But he underestimates me. I feel no sympathy for them after what they have done to me. I will take great satisfaction in defeating each of them.

Especially the one who lead the attack on my planet. Especially the one who knocked me out cold while my planet was destroyed. Especially the one who pretended to be my best friend. Especially the one who tricked me into falling in love with him.

_Robin._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hiya!:) I do not own the Teen Titans. :( Thanks for reading my story! Special thanks to all my beautiful reviewers, please continue reviewing! (: **

_**Also, really quick- someone on YouTube started this thing that says "if you want a sixth season of teen titans, go to cartoon , click on 'contact us' and go to 'feedback' and write a quick request or comment saying how much you would like a sixth season of the original teen titans" or something. So if y'all could do that… I would much appreciate it because I would love a sixth season, and I'm sure you would too. Also, if you write fanfiction or have a tumblr could you write something about it on there? I seriously need this sixth season haha.**_

**Thanks a lot!:)**

**~ashwater**

Robin hatefully stared at Slade through the screen.

"I'm going to find Starfire. I will defeat you if it's the last thing I do."

"But Robin," Slade replied. "You don't need to _find_ her. She's on her way right now!"

The Titans gasped. "What?!"

"You mean…you're just sendin' her back after a year like nothin' happened?" Cyborg asked, dumbfounded.

"Oh no," Slade retorted. "That would be quite out of character, wouldn't it?"  
"Then why is she coming back?" Raven growled.

"She's coming to attack you."

Robin hit the disconnect button on the screen with substantially more force than necessary.

"Slade has her under mind control or something. Obviously Starfire wouldn't actually attack us. Cyborg, can you run scans on her when she gets here to see if she's being controlled, and Raven, can you figure out what she's feeling?"

"Of course," they both said.

Robin nodded. "Good. And whatever you do, make sure-"

A lard crash right through the huge windows interrupted him.

"Star…"

Robin stood there gaping. Starfire was just as beautiful, if not more, as he remembered. Yet she was in a black and yellow suit instead of a purple one (same basic design). And he didn't think he had ever seen such a hateful expression on her face.

"Starfire?" he timidly asked, reaching out to her.

Her eyes narrowed, and she shot a starbolt right at him.

"Ugh!" Robin grunted as he was slammed against the floor.

Starfire rose above the Titans. "You will pay for what you have done, traitors!"

She took out a small gadget from a pocket, and threw it on the ground. It ticked for half a second, and then the room was rapidly filled with smoke. The Titans stumbled around in the dark trying to locate each other and Starfire.

"What did we do?" Beast Boy yelled, spinning around trying to find someone- anyone.

"What did you do?!" Starfire screamed, outraged.

A starbolt flew out of nowhere, barely missing Beast Boy. He changed form and charged the direction it came from.

"You pretended to be my FRIENDS!"

Beast Boy ran into a wall.

"You destroyed my HOME!"

A starbolt hit Cyborg, throwing him to the ground.

"You left me to DIE!"

Another starbolt targeted Raven, who quietly blocked it.

The smoke began to clear. Cyborg and Beast Boy were groaning, trying to get up.  
"Girl's gotten stronger," muttered Cyborg, rubbing his head.

"You BETRAYED m-"

Starfire was cut off as Robin took her to the ground. He pinned her down, so she couldn't use starbolts.

"Starfire! I know this isn't you!" Robin pleaded as the girl struggled to escape.

"We never would have done anything to hurt you, Slade is controlling you!"

"_Slade_ is controlling me?" Starfire snapped incredulously. "Slade saved my life! When you _betrayed me_!"

With that she used her eyes to blast Robin backward into Raven. She flew up into the enormous broken window.

"_You_ were the one controlling me," Starfire said coldly. She turned and began to fly away, but Robin managed to throw a rope around her before she could leave.

"Star, I've been searching for you for a whole year. You can't leave me again," Robin said as he struggled to pull her down. The other Titans assisted him in puling her down to the ground.

Starfire growled as she realized she was not winning. "I do not understand why you would do the searching for me after you left me to die."

Raven tried to explain, "Starfire, Slade messed with your emotions. He's changed what you think and-"

"Stop the talking!" Starfire hissed. "It could not have been fake. I remember it perfectly-when you destroyed the people I love, the place I was raised in- I remember in vivid detail."

"But we didn't," Robin said. "We couldn't have. We are your friends, Star! We would never hurt you- I would never hurt you!"  
Starfire looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Then release me."

Robin looked at the other Titans, who all looked back at him wide-eyed not knowing what to do. He gestured for them to let her go.

She immediately flew up and stared down at them.

"Don't leave," Robin softly said.

"Leave me alone." She began to turn.

"Star please- I love you!" Robin yelled his confession.

Starfire stopped and her whole body tensed. She whipped around and her eyes were bright green.

"STOP! YOU WILL _NOT_ HAVE CONTROL OVER ME!" she screamed, and was gone in an instant, flying into the distance.

"NO!" Robin yelled, his hand reaching to her.

The room fell silent.

"Starfire's emotions are genuine. Whatever he has told her has caused her immense pain and anger and she believes it's our fault," Raven said, breaking the silence.

Robin was shaking with fury. "He is going to pay. I don't care what it takes. We have to follow her."  
Cyborg stepped forward, "That's where I come in. I put a tracker on her and she doesn't know it. We can follow her."

Robin looked up through the broken window. "I'm coming, Star."

Starfire arrived at the place Slade had hidden her for the time being while they were on Earth- a small cave not too far from Titans Tower.

She entered it, still trembling from her encounter with the Titans.

"Slade?" she asked timidly. "I have returned, and I-"

Slade appeared behind her. "You have failed me. You allowed them to defeat you. My instructions were to destroy them.

"I am most sorry, I tried but I am not strong enough to defeat them."

Slade struck her, slamming her into the wall. "You are strong enough physically. You are allowing your emotions to get in the way of your victory."

Starfire cringed against the wall. "Please, I tried my hardest. I am incapable of hurting them. Even if I hate them now, I loved them once and I cannot harm them."

Slade picked her up by her hair, despite her cries of pain and distress.

"Next time," he growled. "You will win." He slapped her. "You will not fail me again." He hit her again. "Or the consequences will be severe." He dropped her onto the cold hard floor and left her there, shivering and trying not to cry.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello there. I am most grateful to you for reading my story. Thanks again to all those who review and favorite and follow and such. It really makes my day:) I do not own the Teen Titans. **

**Thanks again!**

**~ashwater**

Starfire hugged her knees to her chest while tears streamed silently down her face.

_Oh Robin, _she thought. _I do not want to hate you. You seemed so sincere. But after all that happened…how could I not?_

She buried her head into her knees. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up and saw...

"Robin!" she snapped shooting up into the air, starbolts at the ready. "Have you no respect to leave me alone as I asked?"

Robin just stood there. He didn't get out any weapons or anything. "I couldn't stand to see you cry."

Starfire's grew brighter. "But….how do I know you are not the tricking me? Just like before!"

"Star, please listen to me," Robin begged. "Slade tricked you. Those memories of us hurting you- I don't know what you think we did, but whatever it is- we didn't do it! It's artificial memory. He kidnapped you and did something to your brain."

Starfire's eyes dimmed a bit, yet grew bright as ever a second later. "This…this is not possible. I would like for it to be true very much, but you- my friends- destroyed my home. I remember it too vividly for it to be possible. I have the bruises from when you yourself fought me while I tried to defend my home."

Robin's eyes widened. "Tamaran! You think we destroyed Tamaran!"

She glared down at him. "Enough of these games. I am leaving before you can infect my mind with false hope and trust. I will be back and you will regret all the wrong you have done." She turned and began to leave.

Robin straightened up. "Titans, GO!"

Out of nowhere, Raven flew out and blocked the exit of the cave with a shield of dark energy. Beast Boy turned from a fly on the wall to an enormous lion and slammed her against the wall. She was unharmed, but still unable to escape his hold on her.

"Release me!" she screamed and struggled to escape, shooting starbolts out of her eyes that poor Beast Boy had to keep dodging while holding onto her.

Outside of the cave, the T-ship (driven by Cyborg) raised up into view.

Raven lowered her shield, Beast Boy picked up Starfire by grabbing the back of her shirt in his teeth, while Robin wrapped her with ropes and blindfolded her faster than she could even realize it was happening.

"Sorry, Star," Robin said. "I need to convince you I'm not lying."

Starfire continued to yell Tamaranian curses as she was transported onto the T-ship.

"Cyborg, set course for Tamaran," Robin yelled over Starfire's shrieks. "She thinks we destroyed it!"

"Got it!" Cyborg yelled back. "Can't we shut her up?" he muttered to himself as the engine started to get louder.

Robin pulled Starfire into his own separate compartment of the T-ship and took command.

"Okay team," Robin said as everyone put on their headsets and got ready to depart. "We are going to-

"YOU ARE ALL FLOBBONILLY-TEATRESHIAN-" Starfire's insults came through Robin's microphone. The whole team grinned.

Robin raised his voice as he continued, "going to TAMARAN to show Star that we didn't destroy it because that's what Slade made her think."

"Geez," Beast Boy said. "That's cold."

"GLOBULATIONAL-CREAMIAL-STORTEYAN-"

The T-Ship took off into space.

"CARNIAN-STOCKOOFLUP-BLARSHFACES!" Starfire finished, gasping for air. "Let me go and FIGHT ME! This is ridiculous and I cannot believe you would-"

Robin tried not to smile. "I sure missed you."

Starfire, extremely frustrated and confused, gave up and returned to the impossible task of getting out of the ropes and blindfold.

"We are about a third of the way to Tamaran," Cyborg announced over the microphone.

"Impossible," Starfire snarled, but a bit of hope showed in her voice.

Robin muted his mic. "Starfire?"

The girl paused her struggling. "What?" she said coldly.

"I never… before you disappeared…I didn't get to tell you that…that…I'm… I love you. I fell in love with you the first day you came to Earth, and I fell more and more in love with you everyday, and I was never…I never told you because I was scared that it would mess up how close we were. And then you disappeared and…I... I was destroyed. I've been looking for you for a whole year- searching and searching with no real leads. Everyone kept saying there was no way you could be alive after so long- and a part of me believed them. But another part of me never, ever lost hope. That part of me was desperately in love with you and always will be. And I just can't lose you again."

Starfire sat, awestruck. "Robin…"

BANG!

Robin unmuted his mic. "Cyborg?! What was that?!"

"I don't know!" Cyborg yelled back. "Something hit us!"

"It's Slade," Raven said. "He's got a spaceship."

"Damn it!" Robin muttered. "Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg- can you fight him off if I separate from the ship and take Star to Tamaran?"

"Dude, we got this!" Beast Boy yelled. "Go!"

Robin hit the separate button. "Star….I need you to help me. If I untie you, please, please let me take you to Tamaran."

She hesitated, but then said, "I trust you," and allowed herself to be untied.

"Cyborg's upgraded the ship," Robin rushed out. "When we separate, we get one control to drive and one to shoot. Take the shooter and defend us please."

"Alright."

There was an awkward silence until Starfire informed him "Two small ship things are following us."

"Take them down," Robin suggested.

Two beams and they were out.

"Nice shot!" Robin commented, with a wide grin on his face.

"Thanks," she accepted. "Are we…almost there?"

"Yeah," Robin assured her.

In the next ten minutes, Starfire took out eight more small ships that seemed to be tracking them, and Robin dodged countless asteroids and other things as they had been thrown off course when they separated from the T-ship.

"Look, there it is!" Robin excitedly yelled when they reached the planet. "Tamaran!"

Starfire placed her face against the glass in disbelief. "But that is…I do not...it was destroyed."

Robin was smiling, until he looked over and saw Starfire in a fetal position clutching her head in obvious pain.

"Star?!" Robin yelled, abandoning the controls and shaking the girl. "What's wrong?!"

Slade's voice came over the intercom in the ship. "Her brain. You've confused it. Conflicting memories and information is causing her to go into a shock. Good job, Robin. You've caused her to lose mental control."

"Damn you!" Robin yelled and smashed the intercom.

"Star! Starfire, look at me!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! If you've made it this far, thank you so much for putting up with my amateur writing. I was just rereading it and asdfghjkl. Not terrible, but not great either. But still, thanks so much for reading/reviewing/favoriting/following/all that jazz. Love you! I do not own the Teen Titans.**

**~ashwater **

Robin held Starfire just as she lost consciousness.

"Star?" he asked frantically, shaking her. He pressed his thumb against her wrist. "Thank God, a pulse."

Robin was interrupted by a robotic voice, "Ship headed for impact in minus ten."

"Oh, sh-" he started, grabbing the controls. He somehow managed to pull the ship up at the last second, causing a bumpy but safe parking job in the middle of nowhere on Tamaran.

The second the ship skidded to a stop, Robin jumped back to Starfire.

"Star! Wake up!" he pleaded with her. No response.

Suddenly, the ship's door burst open. Robin jumped, turning around.

"Slade," he snarled upon seeing his enemy enter. "What did you do to her?"

Slade smiled wickedly, enjoying the scene. "I did nothing. You are the one who gave her conflicting information, causing her to go into a shock. If she's hurt, the fault is all yours."

"Shut up!" Robin yelled, attacking Slade with a well-aimed kick.

Slade dodged the attack, moving quicker than Robin could believe.

"One year later, and you are still so slow, Robin," Slade taunted, dodging attack after attack.

After a minute of Robin making no progress, Slade finally threw a punch and hit Robin across his face. Only a couple more blows, and Robin was on the ground, wincing in pain. He was out of practice after a year of staying locked up.

"Now," Slade said, walking over to Starfire and picking her limp body up. "I will take her back until she is completely ready to kill you."

"NO!" Robin yelled, trying to get up, but unable to move fast enough. Slade was gone, and Starfire with him.

"STARFIRE!" Robin ran to the door of the ship, but they were out of sight. He kneeled over and hit the ground. Once, twice, and on until his fist felt like falling off.

Cyborg's voice came over the intercom.

"Robin? We defeated the ships that attacked us. What happened? Robin? Robin?"

Robin grabbed the mouthpiece, amazed that the device still worked. "Slade. He was distracting you. He took her again. She saw Tamaran, but he took her."

There was a silence, until a very frustrated Beast Boy complained, "AHHHHW. Are you KIDDING me? Why can't he just give her up?!"

"Because he's Slade," Raven answered.

There was a long silence.

"Robin?" Cyborg asked. "What do you want us to do?"

Robin closed his eyes. "Come get me," he decided. "We have to find her. I don't care what it takes, we will."

Starfire opened her eyes slowly.

"Oh," she moaned, feeling her head. It hurt a lot. Suddenly she remembered, "Robin!"

"Is the enemy," a voice behind her said.

She turned around only to be smacked to the floor.

"Idiot girl," Slade said, towering over a cowering Starfire. "You forget who saved you, who is the enemy, what they did to you."

"But," Starfire tried.

"No," Slade cut her off. "You have become weaker. We have much training to do, stop lying about and-

"There must have been a mistake," Starfire insisted. "I saw the planet! And they were all so- not the evil. And Tamaran was there!"  
"NO!" Slade yelled. "They were tricking you again. You are naïve, child. You are foolish and weak."

Starfire clenched her fists. "I believe you have the lied to me. The last year! It was all a lie… You messed with my mind. I- I remember now. You took me and changed me. Made me hate the people I love. And you- you will pay!"

She flew up and attacked Slade with a starbolt.

"Insolent girl," Slade growled. "Your disobedience will be punished."

Starfire fought as hard as she possibly could, shooting bolt after bolt at Slade. He managed to dodge all of them. `

Slade tried to punch her down, but she dodged his hits too. She flew right and left and Slade was unable to get her.

Slade narrowed his eyes as he realized how strong she was.

"If physical fighting is will take too long," Slade said, walking over to the wall of the cave. "Perhaps this will be more efficient."

He pulled down a switch Starfire hadn't noticed.

"What is tha-" Starfire was cut off and screamed. A bolt of electricity surrounded by sickly green smoke flew off the wall and hit her. She fell to the ground.

Slade walked over to her and kicked her in the head.

"Stop," Starfire whispered, her eyes squeezed shut.

Slade leered down at her. "You should know by now- I never stop."

He gave her one kick and left her.

Starfire opened her eyes.

_I'm going to die, _she realized. _The electricity… he somehow made it fatal. Poisonous. Robin…_

_I'm sorry._

"Starfire!" she heard a yell.

_Robin… _She extended her fingers to the source of the yell, and closed her eyes.

Robin ran over and propped her up. "Star, oh god, your head is bleeding. Starfire, please. Please wake up."

Starfire weakly opened one eye. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, looking up at him.

"Don't say that!" Robin said, a wave of relief rushing over him. "It's not your fault. We're gonna get you home, and you're gonna be fine."

She gave him a small smile. "No, Robin. I will not be the fine. The poison…I only have a few minutes. I'm sorry. I have…I have to leave you."

"No no no no," Robin rushed. "Raven! Cyborg! Help! Beast Boy! We have to get her back and-"

Starfire took his hand and gave it a small squeeze. "Stop. There is nothing you can do. Thank you- for looking for me. For never losing hope."

Robin looked down at Starfire, both of their eyes tearing up. "No, please," he murmured. "Don't do this to me. I need you. Don't go."

Starfire looked into his eyes. "Robin… I love you."

Tears silently streamed down Robins face. "I love you too," he said. He held her tighter, shaking as his tears splattered onto her face.

And he stayed with her. He held her, crying for what seemed like forever, even though it was only a few minutes. He felt her heartbeat slow, until at last it stopped.

"Star?" he whispered, knowing there would be no answer.

He gently picked her up and stood turning to face his friends.

He looked at them. Raven's face was hidden, Beast Boy was crying, and Cyborg just looked lost.

"Let's take her home," Robin said softly. "She deserves that."


End file.
